dusting off my life

I got seized with a cleaning urge today. I've had a lovely slothful week of tv and cooking, and my house reflects it: coffee table littered with glasses and sudoko books and laptops, the sink full of dishes (that have water in them; I'm not that gross).

Now, I loathe the act of dusting. It feels so pointless; it's going to be dusty again in a couple of days anyway, and I feel like it's like painting the Golden Gate bridge: the scenery never changes and by the time you finish it's time to start all over again. But like the Golden Gate Bridge, the scenery is pretty special. The one thing I do love about dusting- my bedroom specifically- is the opportunity to pick up all of my belongings and remember why I have them. Not just books and clocks, but my things.

The wedding photograph of my grandparents. The little angel Amy gave me when I moved to New York, labeled "for those with a spirit of boundless independence." The little stuffed dog that Danael and I kidnapped from our friend Carl at Ridgecrest in 1996. The 5-year old note from Evan addressed "to Jamie on a Tuesday." The Metro subway map Rubix cube. The little glass jar of seashells from that weekend Madge, Amy, and I went to Galveston for no reason whatsoever. The poloroid of Sandy, Carrie, and me on the longhorn from that weird Texas theme party we had at work probably 10 years ago. The most thoughtful thank-you note I ever received (from Krysten, natch). These things make up my life, my memories, my person. I love wiping that my 30-year old piggy bank off and remembering how my grandfather used to give me a Susan B. Anthony silver dollar every time I saw him. The task inevitably takes me longer than it ought to, but it's always a nice trip down memory lane.

Sadly, the trip is over, and I am now moving on to more mundane tasks of vacuuming and cleaning the toilet. No poetry to be found there. Maybe a spoonful of sugar and the lilting of Julie Andrews would help though.

addenda

I've added a couple of resolutions and revolutions-- they are:

• flossing every day (thanks, Alecia)
• practicing 100 yoga classes in 2009
• inappropriate hugging
  

I added this note to my Facebook profile, and it turns out you can't view the link unless you're on FB, so the text is as follows:

So, over Christmas break, I happened to mention to my friend (and yours) Alan Bordelon that I hated shaking hands. I really, really hate it. (It's unladylike, and kind of unnecessary, not to mention unsanitary.) So, somehow, our conversation ended in my agreeing to 2009 being the Year of the Inappropriate Hug-- or, Whenever Someone Extends His/Her Hand, Just Hug Him/Her Instead.

Frankly, I love the idea, and it goes hand-in-hand (so to speak) with my New Year's Resolution to not be embarrassed about being myself. So tonight, I put it into play. I must have inappropriately hugged 10 people this evening, and boy, was it exhilarating. I loved it. And you know what? I think they did, too. And if they didn't, why do I care-- I'll probably never see them again.

So, I'm spreading it around. I inappropriately hugged 10 people tonight, and afterward, I asked them to please inappropriately hug other people, in hopes that I can spread it across San Francisco, and maybe-- the world.

I'm starting a Facebook Group to make 2009 the Year of the Inappropriate Hug-- Won't you join me??

So there you have it. All that jazz I mentioned on the 2nd, plus flossing, yoga, and hugs. So far I'm 2 down, 98 to go on the yoga, and boy-O am I sore. How's everyone else's revolutions coming?

resolutions and revolutions

Time for my New Year's Resolutions, 2009-style. You guys know I totally believe in making them (and breaking them). Usually I try to write measurable objectives, but some of these will be more general goals. Feel free to hold me accountable.

• Laugh more, dance more, sing more, and generally be myself more without worrying about being embarrassed. Honestly, if I want to shake my booty a little out on the street because a really booty-shaking song comes on my iPod, why should I care what a streetful of strangers thinks? And really, why shouldn't I have introduced myself to that cute bearded & bespectacled movie-goer on Wednesday? Even if nothing came of it, I'd never see him again, so why does it matter? I'm seizing the day, yo. And having a marvelous time doing it. Embarrassed is a stupid emotion. I'm embracing my inner public-transportation-air-drummer, as it were.
  
• The usual budget thing. *sigh*
• The usual losing a little weight so I am happier with my body thing. *bigger sigh*
  
• Blog once a week.
• Take the GRE and apply for UCSF.
• Something that I've tried for the last 2 years and failed-- keep a list of movies I watch and books I read, so at the end of the year I can look back on it and see patterns, and be able to recommend, etc.
• Do my photo-a-day blog. For real.

That's all I got for now. Comments?